The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative is partnering with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) for a new Navy Yard Skills Initiative program, which will train Philadelphia residents for permanent, full-time, union careers with the Philadelphia division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center.

The Management Assistant program seeks to connect Philadelphians with experience in office management for federal careers earning $26/hour. Recruitment for the program kicked off on Tuesday, Aug. 13 and job seekers will be able to submit applications until Friday, Aug. 23 at 5 p.m.. To apply, candidates must be a resident of Philadelphia county, commit to the full training schedule, possess a high school diploma or GED, and have previous experience using Microsoft Office Suite in an office setting. For additional information and to apply for the program, please visit: www.navyyard.org/skills.

The program is the second partnership between the Skills Initiative and Naval Surface Warfare Center, building on the success of the 2023 Industrial Trades Program. The Naval Surface Warfare Center facility at The Navy Yard employs about 2,800 people.

Continue Reading

Great news for the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), University City District’s program that helps unemployed West Philly residents obtain necessary job skills and connect with local employers. The organization has recently been awarded a $4 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to help accelerate WPSI’s goals of providing opportunities for job seekers, program alumni, and incumbent workers to secure meaningful employment that will help break the cycle of poverty. In the past few years, WPSI, which was founded in 2009, has expanded from West Philadelphia to other city neighborhoods.

Continue Reading

The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) is once again partnering with the University of Pennsylvania on a paid job training program. The partners are seeking compassionate, patient-focused, and computer-proficient individuals with experience in customer service (call-center experience is a plus) to train for Access Services Associates. Those accepted to the program will receive cutting-edge job connection strategies resulting in 95 percent of graduates finding employment and a $150 weekly stipend while enrolled.

If hired, Access Services Associates are paid starting salaries of $17.69 an hour. Continue Reading

University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) and PIDC’s Navy Yard Skills Initiative (NYSI) are cooperating again to train Philadelphia residents for full-time, quality-wage careers with employer partner Philly Shipyard, Inc. (PSI). This is the second partnership with PSI following a successful program in September 2021 that resulted in more than a dozen program graduates receiving offers to join PSI in laborer positions.

This new program will allow graduates to interview for competitive union apprentice positions with PSI. The three-year competency program accepts candidates with little or no experience and trains them to be multi-skilled employees that can participate in the future success of Philly Shipyard. Apprentices with PSI are considered full-time employees and paid to learn skills like shipbuilding and welding while earning college credits. Continue Reading

The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), in partnership with PIDC’s Navy Yards Skills Initiative (NYSI), have launched a new job training program with Tasty Baking Company, one of Philadelphia’s most iconic food companies. The maker of Tastykake, the company is headquartered at the Navy Yard.

The program recruits and trains unemployed Philadelphians for training and job opportunities as Production Associates.

WPSI and NYSI custom designed the Production Associate Program for Tasty Baking Company (now owned by Flowers Foods, Inc.) to connect participants to the tools and support needed to build a meaningful career in the advanced manufacturing food production industry. The production associate role is a part-time position earning $14.60/hour, and associates can submit a request for extra hours creating a full-time schedule. Typically, production associates transition to full-time employment in less than a year and earn $17.00/hour in addition to becoming members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers’ (BCTGM) International Union. Continue Reading

The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, the University City District’s program that provides job training opportunities to unemployed Philadelphians and connects them with potential employers, now also supports its alumni who want to continue their professional education. The inaugural group of “WPSI Scholars” was announced yesterday. Each of the 16 scholars received $1,000 scholarships toward tuition to cover degree, certification, or credentialing programs.

The goal of the program is to “offer a small but significant incentive to graduates to continue growing in their careers and open new professional opportunities,” according to Skills Initiative Managing Director Cait Garozzo. Continue Reading